AB 1456 | The League

League Position: SUPPORT
Click here to read the bill text

What does the bill do?

AB 1456 establishes two streams of financial aid to focus on the specific needs of students at two-year colleges and four-year universities. The programs would be renamed as Cal Grant 2 and Cal Grant 4.

For students at the community college, AB 1456 (under Cal Grant 2) would increase the numbers eligible for aid from 124,000 to a little over 360,000. Students would receive the current $1,656 level of access award with an adjustment tied to inflation.
It would shift California’s financial aid system to student need model that removes eligibility requirements for age, GPA, and time out of high school.

What is significant for community colleges?

AB 1456 proposes a framework for financial aid using the total cost of attendance as the college affordability benchmark rather than solely tuition.
Cal Grant 2 would guarantee an access award (entitlement) for all California Community College (CCC) students with an Expected Family Contribution (EFC) of $0 who do not have dependents.
AB 1456 would make it easier for non-traditional students like those who have families or have returned from the workforce seeking a college education to qualify for the award.
The bill recognizes that the cost to attend a CCC is not just tuition and that the total cost of attendance needs to be addressed as the state recovers financially.

What is the ask?

Send a letter of support to Governor Gavin Newsom urging him to sign the bill into law. For a template letter, click here.

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